In the state of Georgia, a rather disheartening ordinance requires those who report domestic violence but then choose not to pursue charges to cough up a fee. This troubling practice is particularly harsh on victims who already face the daunting task of navigating their trauma while dealing with the legal system. Instead of receiving support, many domestic violence victims are finding themselves penalized for opting out of testifying against their alleged abusers.
A federal lawsuit filed by the Southern Center for Human Rights shines a light on this unjust situation. According to reports by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, victims in Columbus, Georgia, are mandated by city law to assist law enforcement in prosecuting their attackers. If they refuse, they face fines—even if they didn’t initiate the report in the first place. The lawsuit states that victims are charged a minimum fee of $50 whenever they ask to drop charges or decline to testify, with no consideration for their individual circumstances.
“The city’s approach to women facing domestic violence feels like a relic from the 19th century,” remarked Alex Thompson, a lawyer with the Southern Center. “It’s an outdated mindset that places blame on victims rather than supporting them.”
The lawsuit is rooted in a case from last June involving a young woman named Mia Carter. At just 22 years old, Mia earns $12 an hour in a food service job. After a harrowing incident where her boyfriend allegedly assaulted her, she called for help. The police arrested him, but when Mia later chose not to testify, Judge Mark Johnson slapped her with a $150 fine—and warned that she could face arrest if she didn’t pay promptly. Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, an officer allegedly manhandled her and arrested her for supposedly providing false information. Talk about adding insult to injury!
This isn’t an isolated incident. The Southern Center has uncovered multiple instances where women have been fined for opting out of testifying. One victim was charged $200 after her boyfriend allegedly assaulted her with a gun. Another found herself facing a $200 fine after asking to drop charges against a partner who had fractured her finger during a dispute. And yet another was fined $125 after declining to press charges after a domestic squabble.
These cases highlight a broader issue of victim-blaming, which is unfortunately rampant across the country. Although some court systems are starting to recognize the challenges victims face and have begun to move away from requiring their testimony, incidents like these continue to remind us how far we have to go.
Tragically, three women are murdered every day by a partner or ex-partner in the U.S. Many are hesitant to press charges due to fear—fear that the system won’t protect them, fear that it will punish them instead. Until there’s a significant change in how these cases are handled, the responsibility shouldn’t fall on victims to make the system work; that’s on the state to figure out.
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In summary, Georgia’s practice of fining domestic violence victims for not pressing charges raises serious ethical concerns and highlights the ongoing struggles faced by those trying to escape abusive situations. The legal system must evolve to prioritize victim support rather than further victimization.